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Nike Cuts Air Stab in response to Knife Violence

1302 days ago - by Matt Halfhill - 47 comments
Nike Recalls Stabs in response to London Knife CrimeNike has had its fair share of “controversies” to deal with over the years with countless claims of exploited labor and working conditions, but one of its latest moves to skirt a potential PR crisis earns a Bonehead Award.

The city of London has recently experienced a series of unfortunate knife violence and stabbings. So far this year more than 5,000 victims have been stabbed across the UK and 53 individuals have been murdered by stabbings in London alone.  Sadly last week one employee and two security staff were stabbed by teenage shoplifters attempting to flee.

In response to this domestic crisis of violence, Nike has recalled the Air Stab which displays the sneaker’s name on the exterior of the shoe from their UK stores.

The Times reported this story and while they briefly mentioned that the name was chosen nearly 20 years ago, reporter Hannah Fletcher conveniently omits that “STAB” stands for “Stability” rather than the violent action. This shoe, designed by none other than Tinker Hatfield, features a supportive footbridge to protect one from impact-related injuries that provided stability that the Air Max 1 did not.

I can’t describe how shocked I am that Nike, who has taken on much larger PR battles in the past, ducked its tail, retreated, only letting the press have their way to show that this recall is a form of admitted guilt. The current climate of crime in UK is tragic, as is the coincidence of the name of the shoe, but I do not know how the retraction of this shoe will help the desperate situation. Info from FirstCuts.

  • sneakFREAK

    Are you KIDDING me?!?!?!?

    So part of what we pay at the store for our shoes will go to offsetting the cost of this? Nike, sprout some balls and embarrass any press that come at you for this.

    The name of this shoe has nothing to do with violence. By pulling this shoe, it makes the public believe the BS on the street that you named it after that.

    Be like Snoop and tell that b*tch to “drop it like its hoooot”

  • Simon23

    Its not like the shoes came with a toy knife or anything…smh

    Has every toy store pulled all plastic swords and knives? No. Have the movie theaters stopped playing all movies that depict violence? No.

    Rather than being c#nts on this Nike, why not use your power that you have to organize a benefit concert to raise concern and public voice to Stop The Violence.

  • mic check 212

    oh my goodness…

    I don’t even know what to say. Like you said Matt, “The current climate of crime in UK is tragic, as is the coincidence…”

    Nike could have made a much better play that to do this..smh…

    This is the brand that happily paid fines to be bad asses!

  • Chris J.

    Dangggg
    thats pretty crazy.
    dont like the decision,i wonder if this will make the originalls harder to find??

  • Jon Blaze

    yea its tragic but thats is dumb 2 recall them…so what does that mean? ebayers will hike the price of air stabs because they have the name on the side

  • EVillian87

    Are they REALLY serious???

    What’s next, they’re gonna cut the Air Raid due to riots and robbery? Or discontinue Zoom Air due to how speeding causes multiple deaths every year? That’s how outlandish this action is.
    What type of idiocy is going on with Nike? This is so unnecessary.

  • sneakFREAK

    haha next the Hyperdunk will be pulled for exploiting those with ADHD

  • GoonakaSlim

    They use knives cause no one is allowed to use guns over their. You should kinda expect all these stabbings in a place where the only weapon you can use is a knife.

  • Rob528

    I’m not a big fan of the air stab so this does not concern me.

  • http://www.myspace.comsirecommunications J.King

    This story came from First Cuts huh?

  • abelino

    Hell na about 5,000 people get stabed in my hood every month LOL!!!

  • bkbigjay

    WTF? like anyone was thinking of that. i dont know what nikes agenda is behind this. yes, it’s sad. very sad that those people are getting stabbed, but what do you expect people to use when they dont have guns? even the police dont have guns. whats next? im just eaiting for them to recall the nike shox bombers, you know, the war in iraq? with those roadside bombs and what not, what about the nike Air Assault? in these times of war, those terrorist have those shoulder rockets to shoot down planes n all right? why not take the force out of nikeair force one? you know, with all the people who are being forced into doing bad things and all that stuff? lmao. what a joke

  • sneakerfreakbill

    LOL , the world is coming to an end
    ima make a pair of sneakers called KillEm
    and we will see if people will start killing
    oH wait! people are killing already , did any one think
    that stabbing incidents have happend way before the sneaker

  • Flatsole

    Does the recall pertain to the US? I would doubt it.

  • Dead Cat

    I wore those in the picture today.

    Ha.

    …and stabbed someone while wearing them.

    ….in London.

  • A

    This makes no sense at all. I highly doubt the name of a sneaker will influence you to stab somebody. Why would Nike recall a sneaker if they want stabbings to stop. Why not stop all the TV shows with violence, or movies, and video games.
    I hope this recall only pertains to the UK.

  • A. Morrison

    Thats is retarded. but Nike does have to watch themselves cuz people sue over the dumbest things.

  • Air Daniel

    AIR STAB !!!!!!
    OOOHH!!!
    THAT MAKES ME WANT TO GO STAB SOMEONE!!!!!!LOL

  • http://jerronc@tmail.com jerronimo

    that was dumb…. Way to make a stand NIKE!?

  • solesaved

    I give nike some cool points on this, i remember when the NBA Washington Bullets changed the team to the Wizards because of all the Gun violence in D.C. but it’s like any other crime in any part of this world people who decide to make the wrong decision for whatever reasons but i doubt because the name of a shoes makes people commit crimes but it’s cool they decided to do it still.

  • sneakFREAK

    ^ I hear what you are saying there, but bullets kill people. The Stab stands for STABility – that changes things a whole bunch in my book.

    If Nike called it the Stab and it was released in a series of shoes that had other criminal innuendos such as assault, assailant, sling blade, knife, then I could understand. But, it’s a coincidence and nothing more than that.

    For the few pairs recalled (in the grand scheme of things) in the UK, Nike is getting a TON of free press out of this. LoL you can’t deny that!

  • Swizzles

    lol that photo has me cracking up. Please tell me you didn’t actually stab the shoes for that shot.

  • KK Sl1der

    This could have all been planned and perhaps they only used the London stabbings as a scapegoat. Imagine how much the Stab’s sales are going to increase after this incident. I definately know that i’m gonna go get a pair

  • JAR

    who really cares?

  • http://www.myspace.com/porn0graffiK Darneezy

    It’s official, Nike is spineless.

    Okay, tragic, indeed, but to PULL A SNEAKER all due to STABbings, thousands of miles away, NON-Nike related is beyond me.

    I could see if these kids went on a rampage and given themselves a name such as “The Nike Air STABbers” or something of the sort, but get real Nike… grow a backbone.

    And I why in the HELL are we caring so much, what goes on in OTHER COUNTRIES?! I mean, you take care of home first, THEN other issues. We have enough problems OVER HERE, to focus on as is.

  • http://www.myspace.com/porn0graffiK Darneezy

    I “lol’d” at Nike cuts Air Stab too! -haha!

  • http://www.nicekicks.com Nice Kicks

    ^ haha I couldn’t resist. Corny? maybe, but necessary? yes! :-P

  • greenmaker24

    that sucks there were some nice air stabs

  • BigHead

    hey um dis officially anounces wat we all new already
    NIKE r a bunch of pussies that has gone all corporate on us
    on a liter note
    i agree wit the coment ontop of me LOL
    at least i got air stabs before dey got CUT LOL

  • http://myspace.com/chick_mag_nick nick katherina

    nike…smh

  • http://www.nicekicks.com Nice Kicks

    The Stabs aren’t cut for good. They were just pulled from stores in the UK.

  • Joe

    Seriously Darneezy, what the hell are you talking about?

  • Joe

    They were only recalled IN BRITAIN for people that don’t get that, like Darneezy

  • http://www.jumpmankicks.com Air 23 Air Jordan

    What a stupid idea. Recalling a shoe, just because it has a violent name? Sure that’s really gonna help cut down on violence. Maybe they’ll replace it with the Nike Air Hug, lol.

  • Chad

    not a huge fan of them
    and i dont live in u.k.

  • DMVsneakerFiend

    Looks like the worth for these sneakers may have tripled overseas… one thing that NIKE does know is that controversy sells. E.I. any Charles Barkley commercial from the 90′s

  • http://www.myspace.comsirecommunications J.King

    I just copped a pair of air stabs for mere shillings today in georgetown colors in size 13. My London blokes get at me!

  • BKost

    Yeah, it’s crazy, but people get upset over stupid things nowadays. Press just likes to cause drama, it keeps people interested. I really doubt anyone honestly thinks Nike is even remotley responsible for the stabbings because they have this one 20 year old shoe design that has stab in the name.

  • http://www.myspace.com/porn0graffiK Darneezy

    Um, Joe, your reading comprehension is TERRIBLE! I’ll just leave it at that.
    :|

    Everyone else (I assume) understands/understood my point, seeing as though they didn’t jump at my comment, to try and prove myself wrong, much like yourself.

    Re-read it, re-read your statement, then pick your face up off of the floor.
    Thanks.

  • shoefungus

    #

    Its not like the shoes came with a toy knife or anything…smh

    Has every toy store pulled all plastic swords and knives? No. Have the movie theaters stopped playing all movies that depict violence? No.

    Rather than being c#nts on this Nike, why not use your power that you have to organize a benefit concert to raise concern and public voice to Stop The Violence.

    Comment by Simon23 — July 18, 2008 @ 4:32 pm

    i agree fully!!!

    nike has the ability and power to organize a concert that will promote violence controll. nike should have been more of a voice and more a leader on this one.

  • marcus the great

    idiots

  • troy

    wow…

  • yung albino

    somtimes in life its better to pick and choose your fights rather than always losing uinimportant and important conflicts
    but in the case when your in the right and you surrender it is just a demerit to the credibility of the company to have a backbone to its product, responsibility to its customers and respect as a whole.

  • alan lovedog

    look on the bright side – now they have done this, knife crime in the uk will fall to zero from now on….
    ahem….

  • Nasty_Naj

    IF THEY RECALL THESE IN THE U.S IM GUNNA STAB 3 PPL….AND START WEARING STARBERRY’S LMAOOOO…….NASTY NAJ OVER AND OUT

  • JerseyCityStandUp

    i guess they will recall

    -air raids too so “ppl don’t raid other peoples houses”

    -court force’s “for not putting more police on the floor during b-ball games

    -flight 89 “causes terrorist to hi-jack airplains”

    this campaigne is pure stupidity,i guess i can’t wear my air force 1′s because i didn’t join the air force after highschool [smh]

  • still kickin it

    wow this is ridiculous

    im pretty positivie this will have no effect on the violence and that none of the families of the lost ones blamed the name of the shoe for the death of their loved ones

    idiots

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